Didn't I Just Make Dinner?

Some days, I feel like dinner is consuming me instead of the other way around; I'm planning it, making it, eating it, cleaning it up. Frankly, I just run out of ideas from time to time. Then it's freezer pizza or take out. My other problem is I find myself stuck in a rut, like perpetual Taco Tuesday. I'm hoping this blog can help keep me motivated and creative and help you find something new to make for dinner. And so I bring you:

Beef Bourguignon (from Everyday Food Magazine)

3 TBSP olive oil
8 oz. button mushrooms (trimmed), quartered if large
3 lbs boneless beef rump roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
5 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 TBSP tomato paste
2 TBSP all-purpose flour
3 cups dry red wine
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, smashed and peeled
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
10 oz. pearl onions, peeled
1 TBSP butter, cut into pieces
2 TBSP fresh parsley (optional), chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid, heat 2 TBSP oil over med-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Set aside.

2. Season beef generously with salt and pepper and add 1 TBSP oil to pot. In batches, brown meat, 2 to 3 minutes per batch (adding up to 1 TBSP of oil per batch as needed). Transfer to plate as done.

3. Pour off all but one TBSP of fat from pot. Add bacon and cook over medium until brown, 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

4. Return beef to pot; add wine, broth, bay leaf and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer pot to the oven; cook 1 1/2 hours.

5. Add carrots and onions and cook until meat is very tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more, adding mushrooms the last 15 minutes of cooking.

6. Stir butter into stew and and serve topped with parsley if desired.

I made this tonight and served it with a green salad with goat cheese and crusty bread. It's a perfect winter dish. The broth is rich and savory and is perfect for dipping bread. The magazine suggests roasted new potatoes which would be good as well. Since the cooking time is so long, make sure you start it early. Bon appetit!